I Feel This Small...

I hate being belittled, especially when I'm trying to give someone my money. 

I called to make hotel reservations for a friend's wedding and was extremely unimpressed by the service at this fancy-schmancy resort.  The receptionist literally, audibly huffed when I asked to make a reservation and made me repeat everything I said twice because she "couldn't understand me."  I'm sorry, I do not have an accent--I'm from freakin' Maryland.  I am educated and I enunciate my words, thank you very much.  She then refused to give me the price the bride quoted, saying "I'm sorry but I don't give that price at my resort."  She ended up not even taking my reservation.  

Their service had better be amazing or I'll be complaining to high heaven because their receptionist is snooty.

There is nothing that makes me more mad when a business has poor customer service.  Maybe it's just me, but I would rather pay a few extra dollars to have someone be pleasant and treat me with respect. 

I'm Alive...

...but barely.  Although I have very strong opinions on the matter, I normally don't get on too high of a soapbox on the issue.  But, I am stepping on that box  because I was almost killed this morning.

Today I walked across Limestone (a very busy 6 lane street in Lexington) as I do every morning to get to school.  I waited for the light to turn red and for the green lit up pedestrian to appear. I looked both ways and was almost completely across the crosswalk when I heard the man in the hauling truck I was walking in front of shout the F word very loudly.  

I was so startled by this that I stopped in my tracks as a woman in a large black SUV barreled through the very red light about three feet away from me at about 30 miles per hour. 

She was, of course, chatting away on her cell phone and sipping her coffee.  She never noticed the red light, or that the other three lanes of traffic were stopped, or that I was standing in the crosswalk. In fact, the woman never once touched her brakes.  Thank God the driver of that truck saw her coming and yelled out so that it got my attention because I was not able to see her around his truck.  

The irony of this all? I spent all night drafting jury selection questions for my litigation skills class in which I am representing the defendant who allegedly hit and killed a female pedestrian while talking on his cell phone (it's a made up case, but still...).  AND, I wrote my graduation seminar paper last semester on the negligence of driving while distracted by your cellular phone.

Most Americans do not realize that talking on a cell phone while driving has been found to be more dangerous than driving while legally drunk.  Most recognize that texting while driving is dangerous; but, they are mistaken because the true danger is not holding the phone: it is the cognitive distraction.  Thus, it is just as a dangerous to talk on a hands-free Bluetooth device as it is to talk with your phone to your ear. At least 1/3 of all car accidents are caused by drivers using their cell phones. SERIOUSLY, hang up and drive. 

I promise you lady in the black Escalade, your conversation this morning was not worth my life. 

Help Leukemia Meet its Match

Over the weekend I signed up to be a bone marrow donor.  I had no idea how easy the process is and the profound impact it can have on someone's life until a friend told me more about it and I read into it myself.

First, to register as a bone marrow donor, the National Marrow Donation Program will send you a free kit.  The kit consists of a cotton swab for you to take a cheek sample and then send it back.  Your swab is placed into their database, where you wait until you are matched with a person in need. 

Once you are matched, there are two ways to donate your bone marrow. (both of which are free).  The majority of donations do not involve any surgery.  Most  of the time, the donation is done solely through peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) donation, which is non-surgical and is extracted in a method similar to donating blood.  The other way of donating is through a marrow donation from your hip, which is an out-patient surgical procedure in which you go home the same day you donate. You can read more about the process here.

You can sign up here to get your free kit to register with the National Marrow Donor Program as a bone marrow donor. Hope you all will look into it and consider signing up as well.

Quit Worrying, Start Praying: I Couldn't Make This Stuff Up

The past few weeks, I've been frantically studying, working and getting ready for finals. I get nervous, anxious, and generally awful around finals. 


Today, while taking the dog outside, I noticed some grass growing in our sidewalk. 

Of course, I immediately get frustrated, thinking this grass can grow everywhere else but in our yard. I bend down to yank it up, but notice this:

A stray four-leaf clover growing at the end of the patch of grass. As I went to grab the camera, I realized that God has a plan for us and gives us such beautiful gifts every day, regardless of whether we see it or not.  I honestly felt such extreme comfort from that clover that finals would be fine and the never-ending job search would go okay because God has a plan for me.

Okay, so let's be real, it wasn't this quiet inner peace. Actually, it was more of inner thoughts while I'm yelling at the dog that the clover isn't a treat and she's not allowed to eat it.  

I immediately wanted to press this clover in my Evidence book, because, let's be real, that will be by far my worst final.  But, I decided I wanted to leave myself, and this clover, in God's hands. I opened the Bible towards the back and placed the clover in it.

As I was taking this picture, I glanced at the passage around the clover and was stunned. 

 In case you can't read it, it says: "Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again--rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  Then you will experience God's peace, which exceed anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." I immediately started to well up with tears.


I am Catholic and have always been around religion as I went to Catholic schools growing up, but I am sadly not a very religious person myself. But, I've been trying harder to develop a closer relationship with God. I've been going to a Bible study with a group of girls from law school and have been going to church with Cam. But, I clearly don't trust in the Lord with my life enough, and I think He has His little ways of reminding me of that. 


My new mantra that I will try to live by: quit worrying, start praying.

Quote of the Day

My sister, Ang, sent me this quote and I think it is perfect:

Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor each morning, the Devil says, "OH CRAP, SHE'S UP!"

I survived the few days without my husband, but for whatever reason I woke up almost every hour on the hour last night. Because of my insomnia, I gotten a lot accomplished though. Floors mopped, laundry done, and evidence outline almost done. I may just start kicking him out of the house when I want to be more productive!

Hope ya'll have a good weekend!

Guest Blogger: Link between Food and Endometriosis

Good morning! I wanted to take a little time out of my blog to discuss endometriosis again. Tania, a registered nurse who runs the blog Trying to Conceive, was so kind to write a piece for me on endometriosis.

I wrote a short piece on endometriosis and my personal struggle with it last month; but, the topic has been weighing heavily on my mind lately, as I'm pretty sure mine has come back. I am not trying to conceive (yet), but I definitely know I will change my diet in light of this study to do everything possible to protect my fertility. This may be a little more difficult because I am a vegetarian--but flax seed oil, here I come! Her blog has a lot of interesting things about women's health and endometriosis specifically, so check it out!

Endometriosis: Foods a Woman Eats Can Have an Effect on the Disease

In the United States of America, more than 5 million women must deal with a painful pelvic disease called endometriosis. Some women will experience chronic pelvic pain, which is one of the most prevalent side effects of the disease, while others will have no outward symptoms and are considered asymptomatic. Often times a woman will receive a diagnosis of endometriosis after undergoing laparoscopic exploratory surgery because of having trouble, when trying to conceive.

Endometriosis happens when pieces of endometrial tissue travel from the uterus to other parts of the body and become attached to other organs. The patches of tissue are referred to as “endometrial patches,” and each month when the woman undergoes menstruation the patches react by bleeding. When the disease is not treated, a woman can suffer from indefinite pain and if left untreated for a long period of time, endometriosis can lead to infertility.

While there are many medical treatment options for addressing endometriosis, there are also natural methods as well. A woman needs to explore making certain dietary changes and lifestyle accommodations which can help to alleviate the symptoms of endometriosis and improve the quality of life. Certain foods can aggravate the symptoms of endometriosis, while other foods can minimize or even completely alleviate the pain and suffering caused by the disease.

Dairy products and red meat can stimulate the female body into producing prostaglandins which can increase inflammation and pain. Eating oily fish can protect women against endometriosis, according to a Harvard research study, a link was established between a woman’s diet and the disease. The study found that women consuming a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids were at a much lower risk of developing endometriosis by as much as 22%, as opposed to women that ate other types of fat in the diet. The information found in the study concluded that the amount of fat consumed in the diet of a woman with endometriosis did not matter so much, as the type of fats she ate.

But, for vegetarians and vegans, fish is not an option. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids are also nuts, almonds, flax seeds, walnuts, soybeans, and tofu. Vegetables high in omega-3 fatty acids are kale, cauliflower, cabbage, cloves and mustard seeds, radishes, spinach, broccoli, collard greens and Brussels sprouts.

When trying to conceive, eating food rich in omega-3-fatty acids protect women against endometriosis and infertility related to the disease. Millions of women all over the world can develop endometriosis at any time. Because of the link between diet and the disease, it is something a female needs to consider when looking at all the options available and discussing it with a physician could also provide beneficial information which can also help in many different ways.

Endometriosis Awareness Month

March is national Endometriosis Awareness Month. 5-10% women have endometriosis, so I think it's important to for women to discuss and be knowledgeable of this disease. Unfortunately, most women have never heard of the disease until they have fertility problems.

I honestly think that I may have a chance at being a mom one day because I was extremely proactive in finding a good doctor. I was initially diagnosed with polystic ovaries around 16. After switching doctors, I was finally diagnosed in July 2008 with stage II endometriosis. At that time I went ahead and had the endo, scar tissue, and 6 ovarian cysts removed.

I am more than happy discuss my symptoms and treatment, recommend my doctor, give any more information I have, or just generally listen with you are going through.

What is Endometriosis

The uterine lining is called the endometrium. This is the tissue thickens and then is sloughed off monthly. Endometriosis is a disease caused by this endometrium tissue growing outside of the uterus (i.e. in the ovaries, fallopian tubes, bladder, and extreme cases stomach). This tissue continues to release blood in these areas, but the blood has no outlet and just builds up in the body. To protect itself, the body can then build up scar tissue in the affected organs. 

Although the exact cause of endometriosis is unknown, it is not a STD or infectious in any way.  Endometriosis may be genetic. For example, my mother and aunt had fertility problems and my cousin recently was diagnosed with endometriosis as well.

Symptoms of Endometriosis

• severe cramping or pelvic pain 
• nausea, vomiting, constipation, and/or diarrhea during menstruation
• frequent/irregular, heavy, and/or long periods, especially with blood clots
• back pain
• pain during sex
• frequent ovarian cysts
• fatigue

It is important to note some women will have all, some, or none of these symptoms. The intensity of the symptoms are also not directly related to the stage of endometriosis. Thus, someone with Stage I (most minimal) may have severe symptoms and someone with stage IV (most severe) may have no symptoms.

Effects of Endometriosis

The most common effect of endometriosis, besides the severe pain, is infertility. Roughly half of women with endometriosis have fertility problems, with roughly 30-40% being infertile.  Those who do conceive have a 50% miscarriage rate and a higher rate of ectopic pregnancies. They believe there may be a link between endometriosis and ovarian cancer.

Diagnosis and Treatment

The only way to officially diagnose endometriosis is through a surgical laparoscopy. There is no cure, but the disease can be regulated through hormone supplements, pain medication, birth control, and surgical removal.

For more information, please see the Endometriosis Research Center.

Unsure of Where I Stand

*disclaimer: I don't mean this to be offensive, but rather informative. As the title suggests, I am extremely unsure myself where I stand on the issue.***

Sometimes I feel as though I can be a contradiction when it comes to abortion. I am a moderate liberal, yet Catholic, woman and never really know how to fit all those pieces together. Because of that, I tend to ignore the idea of abortion and focus more on topics of which I am more knowledgable, like the death penalty. Up until this point, I had long decided that I personally never be comfortable getting an abortion, but I don't want to take that right away from all women in all circumstances. But, I was very against partial birth abortion, probably because the media portrays it as killing a healthy, smiling gerber baby.

But reading this article in Esquire recently made me second guess my position. Regardless of how you feel about the issue, I think the article is worth reading. It made me realize that all issues aren't as black and white as our media make them out to be and left me praying I would never be put in that sort of situation. I am unsure about my stance now, but thought the article was extremely informative to discuss the issue with the only late-term abortionist left after the death of Dr. George Tiller.

I realize that this is unusual for my blog, but I was rather impacted by this article and wanted to pass it along.